New study finds Europeans want deeper unity but doubt the continent can deliver it

Ambition without confidence

A new study based on 5,800 interviews in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and the United Kingdom finds strong public appetite for a more united Europe alongside deep pessimism about whether that goal is achievable. Seventy-three percent of respondents described a desired future involving political unity, peace, security or prosperity, while only 13% wanted less integration or the dissolution of the European Union.

The confidence measures were markedly weaker. Fifty-six percent said Europe’s future was in danger, and 74% believed the continent was handling its major challenges poorly. Respondents most often identified war, economic pressure and the need for greater international autonomy. The findings point to a political problem that is different from straightforward Euroscepticism: many voters still support collective action but do not trust existing institutions to produce it.

How the findings fit wider polling

The study’s interpretation is broadly consistent with, but not identical to, recent official EU polling. The European Commission’s spring Eurobarometer found that 73% regarded the EU as a source of stability, 81% supported a common defence and security policy and 51% trusted the EU. It also found that six in ten respondents were optimistic about the Union’s future. Differences in questions, samples and geographic coverage mean the results should not be treated as direct contradictions.

The new report is particularly focused on the divide between desired outcomes and perceived institutional capacity. Nearly one-third of respondents criticised European slowness, and a similar share highlighted failure to stand up to powerful external actors. The Guardian reports that these frustrations were especially pronounced among voters attracted to radical-right parties, but also affected a less settled group that retained pro-European values while doubting the bloc’s ability to act.

That uncertain constituency may be decisive as governments debate defence, energy security, migration and competitiveness. The immediate political test will be whether European leaders can connect large strategic programmes to visible domestic outcomes. The survey does not predict election results, and its six-country sample should not be extrapolated mechanically to every European state. It does, however, provide fresh evidence that calls for greater unity can coexist with disillusionment—an opening available both to integration advocates promising practical delivery and to nationalist parties presenting institutional paralysis as proof of decline.